With the successful completion this week of the trucking industry Certificate of Recognition (COR) pilot of training courses, employers will soon have access to their first Council tool for reducing their costs of doing business.  From the employer perspective, however, COR should be viewed as only the beginning of what can be achieved and serve as the stepping stone to implementing other safety initiatives and reduced costs..

The primary feature of COR is that employers who implement an effective health and safety management program, verified by a TSCBC audit, will receive up to a 15% rebate on their WorkSafeBC premium in each year they qualify.  A 10% rebate is available for having an Occupational Health and Safety program and a further 5% is obtainable for having an Injury Management/Return-to-Work program.  For many employers these saving alone can be significant.

The more subtle, but potentially even greater benefit is the savings that can be realized from the improved safety record that COR will promote in your workplace.  Having an effective occupational health and safety program will provide an atmosphere for improved performance and productivity which will have an even greater impact on business success.  Studies have consistently shown that where there is a positive safety culture in the workplace, the number of incidents and injuries is reduced and worker satisfaction increases.  This then results in fewer absences from work, improved attitudes and greater confidence amongst workers that they and their safety is valued and respected.  When workers at all levels genuinely embrace continual safety improvement as a key corporate goal, benefits in terms of business achievement do follow.

Other areas where cost savings can be gained include reduced exposure to fines and legal action and reduced costs associated with property damage, downtime and equipment and worker replacement.  Your company can also benefit from an enhanced reputation with customers, suppliers and the public which can lead to competitive advantages in the market place.

When considering the value of safety training and safety programs, it is important that management not only look at the cost of a particular program or service but also at the short–term and long-term financial, cultural, legal and good-will benefits as well.  Some of these may be harder to quantify, but they are no less important or valuable.

Over the coming months, in addition to the COR program, the Council will begin rolling out other programs and services to assist employers in the trucking industry to realize the human and monetary advantages that flow from a safe workplace.  Trucking companies of all sizes can benefit from the programs that the TSCBC will be offering, so I invite you to check our website regularly for the resources, information and operational tools you can use to achieve greater success for your business. 

Rob Weston

Executive Director